Collin County commissioners held a meeting tonight that shed light on a recent Us 380 study that showed widening the roadway would not only ease congestion but would also be the catalyst for a significant economic boom along the corridor.

County officials recruited state demographer Ray Perryman and his company, The Perryman Group, to study the economic impact of the potential widening last year when US 380 widening discussions first began. The study looked at an expansion of US 380 from the Denton County line in the west to US 75 in McKinney. During tonight's meeting, Perryman presented his findings.

According to the study, the area has seen tremendous growth in population and the economy, and The Perryman Group’s long-term economic forecast for Collin County indicates a continued growth at a rate far outpacing those of the state and nation.

Population in the corridor is projected to increase by almost 1 million through 2040—a
104.4 percent increase at an annual growth rate of a 3.02 percent. And congestion, which is already a major issue throughout the corridor, will become a major hindrance without additional infrastructure, the study stated.

The study stated converting US 380 to a highway—and reducing congestion—would likely result in a notable increase in economic indicators including estimated gains by 2040 of some $14.8 billion in real gross product and almost 75,900 jobs in the study area as well as 160,600 jobs and $19.4 billion in real gross product in Collin County as a whole.

Perryman's study stated Collin County and the state will reap notable ongoing benefits from the activity associated with widening US 380. However, displacements and relocations due to construction and right of way acquisition could cause a temporary reduction of $152 million in gross product and a 2,200 loss person-years of employment in Collin County.

City of McKinney officials said expanding US 380 could come at a high cost because there are more than 100 businesses dotted along US 380 through McKinney right now and several residential developments.

Widening US 380 would also impact current land use and could cause a major change in the makeup of what is allowed along the corridor. The city of McKinney has been working for more than a year on its comprehensive plan update, which includes the transportation master plan. Acceptance and implementation of both plans have been put on hold pending the current US 380 discussion.

Ultimately, Perryman's study found that changing the land use would enhance economic growth along the corridor and would bring in a "substantially greater relative concentration of office space" and less single-family housing.